Troublemaker
by Leader of the Penguins
Summary: William Murdoch's daughter Heather shares her father's love of practical jokes, being encouraged by none other than Charles Lightoller, ringleader to a group of crew who specialise in pranks. While it's all fun and games for her, someone is hiding that he's falling for her. But one bad decision and the Titanic sinking have horrible consequences in store ... Please read and review!
1. Chapter One

**AUTHOR'S NOTE : _This is what I'm hoping is the final version of a story idea I conceived several years ago, having been through several rewrites and changes. My older versions seemed a tad predictable - Heather falls in love with an officer to her father's disapproval. I'm sure you can guess what I had planned - in my opinion it was far too cliched, and was always going to lead to the typical happy ending. I wasn't happy with it, and didn't see much point in keeping it up. I've already written ahead, and I'm much happier with the way events are turning out. Restoring the time period to 1912 and tweaking Heather's character has helped a great deal. Doesn't mean that romance might not happen, it just won't be the sickly-sweet kind where people fall in love after a few days and obviously declaring their love as she ship sinks. I'm going to shut up now, because I won't stop otherwise. Apologies to those who enjoyed my older version, I do have the original chapters still on my laptop, so who knows ... I hope you enjoy the story!_**

**_* Haven't deleted the orginal chapter two, just ran it along with chapter one, it seemed to work better this way._**

**_I own the character of Heather Murdoch, along with her friend Lily and family. The officers and crew are based off of their appearances in James Cameron's Titanic, of which I own nothing. I mean no disrespect to the real crew, passengers and their families, obviously, I've added my own fictional elements to real life for story purposes._**

* * *

**Chapter One**

"Charlie!"

I ran forward to give the man a brief hug. One of my father's friends and colleagues, Charles Lightoller, was there to greet myself, my friend and her family onto the Titanic. Into First Class, no less. My friend Lily was born into an extremely wealthy family, and as such could afford luxuries. For myself, I lived a more modest life, so all of the extravagance was overwhelming. I'm not jealous or anything, especially when I see how miserable a lot of these people really are, behind their fake smiles and proper etiquette. It made me glad of my upbringing.

Breaking from the hug, Charlie smiled down at me. The man has one of the warmest and friendliest smiles, and never fails to get others to smile in return. "And how are we today Heather?"

"A bit nervous actually," I smiled sweetly in reply, glancing around as a woman stepped on with two large dogs. Not just any dogs, pedigree dogs of course. Just another statement of social class. I'm much happier with my little ginger cat Mimi, a stray I took in a few years ago.

Charlie chuckled, quickly taking me aside so other passengers could board, "Heavens, why?"

I lowered my voice and nodded towards some rather snobbish passengers, "I have to spend the best part of a week with _those_ people."

"You have Lily to distract you," Charles grinned, trying not to laugh at my admission. "Besides, once a few of my colleagues find out what a troublemaker you can be ..."

"I doubt my father would appreciate that," I insisted matter-of-factly.

"Who do you think dared me to spike your grandma's coffee with Irish cream?"

"My father wouldn't do such a thing!"

Charles winked at me, "You'll soon see dear. You'd better run along with Lily now, I'm sure I'll see you again at some point today, no doubt."

After exchanging friendly farewells, I caught up with Lily on one of the many B-Deck corridors. I quickly smoothed out my pale yellow sundress, and fixed the pins holding my chocolate brown locks in place. Turning around to smile at me, her green eyes seemed to radiate almost as much as her blonde hair that was piled high on her head.

"Heather Murdoch, you have a way with men," She smirked, leading me further down the corridor.

I playfully tugged at one of her loose blonde curls and sighed, "You know he's my father's friend. And married. And considerably older."

"I'm assuming not all of the men on this ship are!"

"Father would die if I ever found out I was courting a sailor," I shrugged, stopping briefly to admire a vase adorned with delicate roses. "A bit hypocritical if you ask me."

Lily smiled gently, "I think he is one of those fathers who believes that no-one is ever good enough for their daughter."

Walking on, I had to chuckle a little, "My father? Really?"

"Of course!" She insisted as we reached the stateroom we would be sharing with each other. Her parents were fortunate enough to afford two suites, with them and her little brother Matthew in the other. She flashed me a wide grin and added, "Good luck to your future husband!"

My father? Over-protective? Hmm ... I really can't see it, although perhaps it's because I'm looking at him through his daughter's eyes. I just see the same kind man who raised me, and according to Charlie, a bit of a secret joker as well. Don't blame the man for wanting to keep it a secret, probably would get a severe telling off from my mother if he ever encouraged mischief.

"Oh, stop!" I scoffed, looking around the room. The rich colours, gold everywhere, fine details, even finer materials ... I hate it. Such audacious displays of wealth and luxury left me quite sickened. I would have been more than happy to travel with the Third Class passengers. At least they value more important things in life than money and social status. I loved the sense of community throughout the working class, everyone all helped one another and looked for for each other too. First Class is every man for themselves, their survival hanging on riches and how their peers saw them.

Not that Lily was like the others though, she and her family appeared to be the very rare exception. Don't get me wrong, they are obscenely rich, but if this trip to New York wasn't a twenty-first birthday present for Lily, I can guarantee we would have been travelling in Second Class. Her father wasn't born into money, instead he set up his own business when he was our age. If he hadn't have injured himself years ago he still would have owned it, instead of selling it to a highly competitive American tycoon who threw money around like it was infinite.

"You finally made it!" Lily's mother Sarah called from our private promenade deck. She strolled back inside, looking almost identical to her daughter. Even their navy blue sundresses coordinated as well!

"Oh, Charlie and I got to talking," I answered simply, peering into one of the bedrooms.

Sarah nodded and smiled at me, "He seems like a very nice man. Oh, and that is your room in there. Vincent's just through in our stateroom just now, I prefer to stay out of his way when unpacking."

"Nice," I remarked as I casually strode into the room to have a quick look. Still the same design as, what I'm now assuming, is the rest of the stateroom. With the exception of it being a bedroom with a large four-poster bed taking centre stage. I couldn't help myself. I had to take off my heels and leap onto the bed.

Standing in the doorway, Lily tossed my hat over. I had conveniently forgotten that in the back seat of the Renault. Pity that, I despise wearing hats. If I could, I would let my hair flow free. Down to my waist, it's my pride and joy.

"I see you've laid claim to your bed then!"

Prodding the mattress, I laughed, "But of course! I prefer sleeping on the right side of the bed, and it's closet to the door."

"Please don't tell me that monster story your father told us all those years ago still scares you!"

"I'm twenty years old! It's just habit now ..."

Lily cocked her head and sighed, "If you insist ..."

"I do!"

"Lily! Heather!" Came a young boy's voice from the sitting room. Sure enough, a five year old boy with messy strawberry blonde hair sprinted into the room and leapt onto my bed. "Aren't ships fun?"

Ruffling his hair so it looked even more messy, I wholeheartedly agreed with him. "Especially big ones like Titanic!"

"Mummy says we're going to go upstairs and wave to people when the ship leaves!"

"That's right Matthew, we are!" Lily chuckled, picking him up from my bed and tossing him back down on to it. Something he apparently enjoyed because he begged her to do it again.

Sliding off my bed, I scooped him up into my arms, "Let me have a go!"

"Again!" He clapped, after I repeated Lily's actions, looking excitedly between us. I can somehow picture him jumping up and down on his own bed tonight, too excited to sleep.

I looked to Lily and joked, "You know ... I think I would rather do this all week than socialise with the First Class!"

* * *

It was a couple of minutes past two when someone politely knocked at the stateroom door. I had hitched my dress up to my knees and was lounging somewhat lazily on the couch. Lily and I were tasked with looking after her little brother while her parents went to explore the ship. Not that we minded anyway, he's a sweet little boy. Young Matthew was busy informing me of his imaginary friend Pierre, who was French, no less.

"... And you have to speak loudly with Pierre, because he's half deaf."

I stared at the child following his revelation. I didn't realise imaginary friends could have impairments as such. Normally imaginary friends were almost like heroes or idols to children, someone they could look up to when they were sad or lonely. I had to admire his want for diversity though, and his brilliant imagination. "How in the world did that happen?"

His casual reply was, "An elephant ripped his left ear off with it's trunk."

"I see ..."

Turning to see who was at the door, I immediately sat bolt upright on the couch and pulled down the skirt of my dress. Blushing slightly, I could see my father grinning at me from the doorway, looking handsome in his uniform. He chuckled to himself as he watched me quickly fix my own appearance before I returned his grin.

"Aren't you going to give your old father a hug?"

"You're not _that_ old!" I laughed as I practically rolled off the couch to greet him. Hugging him I sighed, "I missed you."

"I missed you too darling," My father replied before stepping back. "Fancy a walk around the ship with me?"

Nodding happily, I called to Matthew and Lily that I would be back soon before taking my father's arm as he escorted me through the corridors. I don't know how he could manage not to get lost, they all looked the same to me. I guess that's what happens when you've been on a ship for a few weeks, probably needed to learn the layout so he couldn't get lost as we sailed to New York.

"So how is your accommodation then?"

I pulled a face, "Disgustingly extravagant. It's all so rich and posh. I'm not trying to sound ungrateful father, but ..."

"I know," He smiled, as we arrived on deck. The sea air felt refreshing, and almost seemed to welcome me. I felt more at home up here than I did down below. I simply wanted nothing more than to whip the pins out of my hair and let it flow free, but I decided not to face the scorn of the privileged and wealthy. And I didn't want to give my father a showing up, even though he wouldn't have minded.

"I love the air up here!" I exclaimed, taking in a deep breath which caused my father to laugh heartily.

"Just like me!"

Smiling, I noticed that we were headed towards the bridge of the ship. Can only mean one thing - his 'proud father' act in front of the other officers. Well, not really an act, per se, because I can see the pride in his eyes and hear it in his voice when he talks. But I find it slightly embarrassing Yes, it was cute ten years ago when I was a child, but not so much now. I'm a grown woman, but I guess to him, I'll always be daddy's little girl.

"You're taking me to meet the other officers, aren't you?"

My father nodded hurriedly and replied with enthusiasm. "They're all very keen to meet you darling!"

Rolling my eyes, I muttered, "I wonder why ..."

"If you must know, Lights has been regaling them with tales of your mischief!"

I had to laugh at my father's statement, "Oh really?"

"I believe he has," He chuckled, turning to me. "And it's not just my fellow officers that are impressed!"

"Lord, what stories has he told?" I groaned, casting my mind back over all the times I've caused trouble and mischief. Which is _a lot_.

"Hmmm ... The incident with Mister Hoskins' butler, for one. That actually went down pretty well with the men."

I slowly nodded, trying to hide the obvious smirk on my face. "Mister Hoskins deserved what he got!"

"Ah, but did his butler deserve being rushed to hospital for a broken tailbone?" My father gently reminded me, a twinkle in his eyes I had seen many times before. Always when mischief occurs. I often wondered if I had the same tell ...

We arrived at the bridge to be greeted by Charlie, who linked his arm with my spare one. He whispered in my ear, "So, how bad is the First Class?"

"Atrocious," I whispered back as we were led down towards the Mess Hall, where a couple of officers were enjoying some tea. Both of them looked at me with mild surprise, until they could see the resemblance between my father and myself. Our blue eyes certainly helped with that connection.

"Mister Pitman, Mister Moody, this is Heather. My pride and joy," My father introduced me, as he and Charles simultaneously let go of my arms.

"It's very lovely to meet you Heather," Pitman grinned, taking my hand and kissing it delicately. "Third Officer Herbert Pitman - But you can just call me Herb."

Reflecting the kind expression on his face, I nodded politely, "I will do Herb, thank you."

Moody was next, doing the exact same as his fellow colleague. "Sixth Officer James Moody. So _you're_ the infamous troublemaker?"

I blushed slightly, glancing quickly at my father who merely smiled. Charlie on the other hand, could be heard sniggering right next to me.

"That's me!" I announced, receiving approving looks from the officers. Well, that was always reassuring. I've been on ships before where I've been dismissed because I was Officer Murdoch's daughter. But they looked at me like I was equal to them, which was refreshing, I have to say.

Herb looked to my father and winked, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?"

"Indeed it does not Herb," James smirked, watching my closely. "I don't suppose you heard the lastest about your father then?"

"No! Oh, please tell me!"

I heard my father groan next to me, "You do that James. In the mean time, some of us have work to do."

I quickly turned to my father, "You're going?"

"Regrettably," He sighed, shooting me an apologetic look. "I'm sure the men will take good care of you, unless you'd rather I'd escort you back?"

"No, I'll stay, thank you," I smiled sweetly. Meanwhile, my mind was racing through all sorts of ideas for mischief. Suddenly, this voyage didn't seem as soulless and dull after all.

After waving to my father, Charlie and I joined the men at the table. James graciously poured us some tea and offered me a slice of cake, which I obviously took. I can never say no to anything sweet.

Looking at James eagerly, I asked, "So ... What did he do?"

"He decided to wax the floor of the Wireless room ... Excessively," James grinned as Charlie and Herb laughed merrily. "So naturally, when Sparks appeared this morning for his shift ... On his arse he went!"

"Fantastic!" I laughed, decidedly impressed with my father's antics. "Was he okay?"

James shrugged, "I think so ... He keeps grumbling about his sore arse right enough ..."

"Well," Charlie began, looking at me. "It appears as though we have just welcomed another troublemaker into our midst."

Winking at them, I proudly declared, "Yes you have!"


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Timing. Accuracy. Speed. Finesse. All great things required when carrying out a task. Even more important when fleeing the scene without getting caught. Which is exactly what James Moody and I achieved, successfully running back to Charlie in one of the collapsible lifeboats after dropping a questionable concoction of liquids onto Quartermaster Rowe's head. Shame his hat prevented the mixture from soaking his entire head, but alas, it was a success.

Climbing under the cover, I could hear James snigger alongside me as Charlie waited patiently for the news. My wide grin pretty much told him what he needed to know, but for conformation I announced in a hushed voice, "Phase one, complete."

"Fantastic!" Charlie exclaimed as he gave James a pat on the shoulder before he pulled me into his arms for a brief hug. Looking at the two of us he smiled and said, "Didn't doubt either of you for a second."

"I should think not," James scoffed, as he slid further along inside the collapsible so we were all inches apart from each other.

"I'm just glad Herb could produce such a mixture on short notice," I whispered, hearing the footsteps of passing crewmen just outside the collapsible. And by short notice, I meant forty minutes. Charlie and James had their shifts starting soon, and they were keen to get Rowe beforehand. Luckily for us then that Herb has the agility of a cat, and scoured the Officer's Quarters for anything that would make a bright coloured liquid. The end colour result? A rather garish purple that would be sure to stand out against Rowe's uniform. Which it did.

James chuckled and flashed me a knowing smile before whispering, "If you ever need anything, Herb's your man. He can be sneaky and silent."

"Perhaps after finishing his career at sea he could become an assassin," I joked to stifled laughter from the two men. Smiling appreciatively at them, I asked, "Who is our target for phase two then?"

"You know of Caledon Hockley, don't you?" James asked me with a cheeky smile.

"_Him_?! That's suicide!"

Charlie let out a huge guffaw which in turn caused James to slam his hand over his mouth to hush him. Taking the hint, Charlie pulled the hand away and told me with a slight chuckle, "No dearest. We're going after his valet, Lovejoy."

I let out a sigh of relief. Alright, perhaps going after Hockley's manservant wasn't the wisest choice, but it was much better than going after Hockley himself. Especially because Lily's family and I were invited to dinner with him, his fiancee and his future mother-in-law that night. I'm guessing that after hearing about Mister Hoskins' butler, the men figured that I would have no qualms over having Lovejoy as our next victim.

"And for this we need a little help," James informed me quietly, before pulling out a sheet of paper with some names scribbled down. Handing me it he said, "Our assistants."

I quickly glanced over the names; Robbie, Freddie, Reggie, Harry and Joe. I have no idea who these men are. I don't know why James thought I would know who they were. Handing the paper back, I shot him a confused look and motioned towards the list. It took a few seconds before he realised what was troubling me.

"Oh, bugger. Sorry Heather," He began apologetically, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Robbie's another one of our quartermasters, he's a good chap. Always up for a laugh. Freddie and Reggie are two of our lookouts, and a pair of court jesters, quite the double act and always up to something. Probably being stuck in that crow's nest for hours gives them time to conspire. Harry is our fifth officer, and Joe is our fourth officer. You'll like the two of them as well, although Harry can be a pain in the arse at times."

I nodded to show that I understood, "Okay ... So aside from my father and the chief, every other officer is in on this?"

"We need actual lookouts for this one Heather," Charlie began, snatching the list from James before giving him a look of approval. "Because Hockley could appear at any time, you probably have heard that Lovejoy doesn't leave his side unless he's tailing that DeWitt Bukater girl. But two of them won't be enough, so Joe and Harry have stepped in to help, meaning that if we run into trouble the two of them could come to our aid. As for Robbie ... We're seriously considering putting him in a hairpiece and dress so that Lovejoy will follow him. At least that way we can lure him to the cargo hold, which would be completely booby-trapped."

Raising an eyebrow, I asked Charlie with some amusement in my voice, "You've given this a great deal of thought, haven't you?"

"I have."

"You _do_ realise that as a man, this Robbie fellow lacks the feminine physique. The lack of curves, shall we say, would be a dead giveaway. So this is what I propose ... Let me dress up as Miss DeWitt Bukater. I can watch her at dinner tonight, and try to study her mannerisms and the way she carries herself. Surely I must be far more convincing than Robbie?"

"She's got you there Lights," James grinned, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me over to him for a friendly hug. "Looks like we have found the brains of the group, sorry mate."

"Sometimes we need a women's perspective," Charlie shrugged, giving me a pat on the shoulder. "Or you know, someone with more intelligence than us."

"Lucky for you I have both, eh?" I grinned, dodging a playful swipe from him as James looked on and laughed.

I could tell I was going to enjoy spending my time on Titanic, even if it did mean that I would be apart from Lily for a great deal of the journey. We are close friends, don't get me wrong, but it would be nice for her to spend some time with her family, without me hanging around. Of course there are times when she'd rather be with me instead of her family, time which would be spent gossiping and dicussing whatever I got up to with Charlie and the others.

"Any plans for our booby-trapped cargo hold Lights? Or will Heather need to come up with a plan for that too?"

This time it was James who was on the receiving end of a swipe, as Charlie's fingers lightly brushed his cheekbone. I giggled at the pair of them, as James stuck his tongue out and Charlie pretended to pout. Great, the two of them could be cute ...

"I was planning on calling a meeting tonight, actually," Charlie informed him in a matter-of-fact tone as he pompously sat upright, well, not all the way upright as the cover prevented him from doing do. Sighing, her merely continued, "You and I get off around midnight, and I know for a fact that the captain will be in his bed by then. If we spread the message, we can gather in your room, seeing as it's the furthest from Will and Henry."

"Is Henry the chief?" I asked, not meaning to interrupt, but if they weren't going to tell me who these men were, I was simply going to ask.

"Yep," James nodded as Charlie scowled slightly. I heard from Herb that Charlie and my father were demoted a rank due to the new chief's arrival, with the former second officer Davy Blair being cut from the roster entirely. A but unfair if you ask me, but I have an obvious bias of course.

"Anyway, Heather, do you think you can sneak away and meet me at the bridge at midnight? I'm on watch so you won't get into trouble or anything. Unless you'd rather one of the men escorted you from the first class?"

I shook my head politely and smiled, "I should be fine by myself, thank you. So if you don't need me until midnight, I should probably be heading back. Dinner in first class means I need to spend hours preening myself to look my best with all those snobs."

James sighed and played with a loose strand of my hair, "You don't have to, you know. I know I think this, and probably everyone else, but you don't need to shovel on makeup or squeeze into a corset to look beautiful. To hell with those people, I never cared for that kind of society, and I know your father raised you better than to care what they think."

"Oh, I don't care," I replied airly with a smile. "But ... I'd rather not give my father a showing up ... Any more than I possibly could at this point."

"Fair enough," Charlie shrugged. "Shall we escort you back?"

"_I'll_ escort her back, thank you very much," Came a familiar Scottish voice from above us. Sure enough, the cover was pulled back and my father was looking down at the three of us with a slightly exasperated smile on his face. "When I was told of voices coming from a collapsible, one being female, I knew right away who the culprits were."

"Sorry dad," I chuckled as he held a hand out for me and helped me out of the lifeboat. I quickly fixed myself up as Charlie and James clambered out, trying their best to look innocent.

"I'm also going to assume that _at least_ the three of you were behind what happened to Mister Rowe?"

Charlie pointed to James and quipped, "His idea!"

I could see my father roll his eyes as he held out an arm for me, which I took, but not before turning back and flashing a wink at the two of them, "I'll see you two around."

"Bye Heather!" They chorused like schoolboys as my father led me away from the two of them.

I expected a tongue-lashing from him, or at least a warning, but all he said was, "Just don't get caught. And I'd maybe find a new hiding place."

Nice. Nothing harsh or stern, just some good advice. It made me wonder if he was saving himself for Charlie and James later, not that it would stop them anyway. I'll find out at midnight anyway, and I can share my findings from dinner with Hockley and the DeWitt Bukaters. Tempting fate, I looked up at him and asked, "You're not giving me into trouble?"

"Nah, just don't tell your mother when we get back home, okay?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"So there'll be no ... You shouldn't hang around with those two, they're trouble. Or ... If I catch you placing one toe out of line then -"

"Darling, it's okay," Father insisted with a laugh, looking down at me and smiling. "Just watch who it is you're playing pranks on, because some people don't take it too kindly. And that's how you end up with sore kneecaps."

What an odd sentence to end with. I gave him a look of polite bewilderment and asked, "Sore kneecaps?"

"Mister Bride found out from some tattle-tale that I was the one who overly-waxed the floor to the Wireless room. He simply stuck his leg out as I was walking by and I crashed down onto my knees."

I winced at the thought, "Ouch!"

With a smirk he leaned in and whispered, "Moral of the story - Watch who you tell your stories to!"

* * *

It took almost two hours to get ready for dinner. A quarter of that time was spent trying to get me laced up into a corset. It had been almost a year since I last worn it, and my indulgence for cakes and anything chocolate meant that it didn't fit as well as it used to. I wondered where that slight layer of excess fat I carried around my body disappeared to, until I looked down and could see my breasts heaving as though they were trying to escape. I tell you, the trouble first class women go to in order to obtain the 'perfect' body shape.

"I hate this!" I called to Lily as I put on a pair on sapphire earrings which were given to me as a birthday present from my parents. They seemed to go well with the dark crimson gown Lily's parents bought me for the occasion. In fact, all of my gowns were bought by them. I should have asked for new corsets as well ...

Lily sauntered in wearing a pale gold gown with diamond jewllery and pristine white gloves. She smiled at me and said, "You look really elegant Heather."

"I feel like I'm being squeezed on all sides," I grimaced, placing a hand on my nipped-in waist. I didn't even want to sit down in it for fear of it ripping, or me not being able to get back up. I'm pretty sure I'll have to wait until everyone else has deserted the dining hall before I can return up here.

"Perhaps my mother laced up your corset too tight," She suggested, walking over to me and undoing a couple of buttons on the back of my gown to inspect her mother's work.

"Perhaps I've put on a bit of weight from eating cakes and chocolate," I pointed out, as Lily dutifully unbuttoned the rest of the gown and loosened the corset. It was a slight improvement, but at least I could breathe better and perhaps have the capacity to actually _eat _my dinner. "Thank you Lil, that's much better!"

She let out a giggle and suggested, "Maybe we should take a jaunt up to that gymnasium then tomorrow?"

"Why? We're on holiday!"

"Then you'd better invest in some bigger clothes," Lily cheekily reminded me, pinching my upper arm.

I merely shrugged her off as I took one last look in the mirror. My hair was neatly pinned to my head; My cheeks were rosy from just the right amount of rouge; The jewellery compliemented my gown without being too over the top; My breasts looked ridiculously huge. Great, looks like I'm borrowing Lily's fan to hide them for the duration.

"Are you girls ready?" Her mother called from the sitting room, as I pulled on my gloves. I nodded to Lily and together we left the safe haven that was our stateroom, and into the snake pit.

Dinner was a pleasant, albeit, rather dull and formal affair. For the record, caviar is absolutely disgusting. I should have listened to the men earlier when they warned me not to try it. It did seem to amuse our hosts slightly, and Lily to no end. Aside from that the food was well prepared and delicious. The champagne, of course, was exsquisite, but knowing that I had to be up late to work out our plan for Lovejoy was enough restraint for me.

At half past eleven I was free of that rib-crushing corset, to my utmost joy and relief. I simply pulled the gown back on and threw my overcoat around myself. Lily was already sound asleep as I crept out into the deserted corridor. Only a few passengers were still roaming around, mostly the men retreating from the Smoking Room. I'd heard of it, yet had no desire whatsoever to see what all the fuss was about. They politely tipped their heads at me as I brushed past at a brisk pace, keen to avoid bumping into Hockley and Lily's father, who were still to return.

The air on deck was cold and crisp, but rather pleasant after being stuck in that somewhat stuffy dining hall for hours on end. I was definitely a sailor's daughter as I leapt onto the railing and peered down at the seemingly black sea that crashed against the ship's side. Figuring I still had some time, I slouched onto a deckchair and gazed up at the night sky. Very little cloud, and lots of stars. It was beautiful. The only time I've seen the sky so beautiful is whenever we'd go back to Dalbeattie to visit relatives. The country sky of Scotland was stunning, and better than England's, but of course, I'm biased with that as well.

"You made it!" Charlie called over as I approached the bridge. He had been standing by the staircase leading down to the promenade deck below, obviously waiting for me. "We still have around ten minutes before I'm relieved of my shift."

"Who's taking over?" I asked politely, peering into the wheelhouse to see Rowe at the wheel. I stifled a giggle as I waited for Charlie's answer.

"Herb," He replied swiftly. "So there'll be no questions asked. All he wants is a report of what was discussed before I turn in for the night."

I nodded and rubbed my hands together in the freezing cold, "Sounds good."

"Come here," He smiled as he pulled me in for a hug. He was certainly fond of them, that was for sure, and right now, I certainly didn't mind the extra body heat. "Can't have your father thinking that I let you freeze out here."

"Thanks Charlie," I smiled, refusing to break the hug and separate from the warmth.

"Well this is cosy!" Herb remarked as he appraoched us, shooting Charlie a smirk and teasing, "You know, you have a wife."

"I'm well aware, thank you," Charles chuckled as I reluctantly pulled away and rolled my eyes at Herb.

He merely grinned and announced, "Mister Lightoller, your shift is now over. I've decided to relieve you early. Just remember what you promised me."

"I know, I know. To report back to you with the plan."

"Then you'd better get going!" Herb ordered, pushing him towards the wheelhouse, with me following behind.

I smiled at Herb before following Charlie down the corridor to James' cabin. Oh yes, tonight was going to be eventful to say the least ...


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

I was squeezed on a small bed between Charlie and Robbie, who was just as lovely as James had told me. Freddie and Reggie seemed nice enough too, although I could see what he meant by those two. They kept whispering away on Robbie's other side and chuckling in a manner that you knew meant trouble. With Herb and Joe on duty, as James informed me, we were only waiting on Harry. Apparently late coming was an unfortunate habit of his, much to everyone else's annoyance. Am I the only one who thinks that Harry should be told an earlier time so that he would appear on time when he's really supposed to?

"I really can't be bothered waiting on Harry anymore," James sighed, glancing at his alarm clock and pulling up his chair in front of us all. "Shall we just start, and he can catch up at the end?"

"No need, I'm here Jimmy," Insisted a flustered looking officer with a thick Welsh accent. It could only be Harry, who quickly climbed onto the bed behind Charlie's back and peered out from behind his shoulder.

James rolled his eyes and sank into his chair, scowling at Harry, "You took your time! You realise that some of us could be in bed right now?"

"We all could be," Freddie pointed out, reaching behind Robbie and myself to slap Harry's wrist. "Where even were you?!"

"In a bath, is that quite alright?" Came Harry's curt and rather harassed-sounding reply.

"Don't anger him," Charlie warned, glancing at Freddie who immediately shot back an innocent look that still had traces of guilt lingering. Men, always bickering over something silly. They could be worse than women at times!

Sighing, I asked everyone somewhat pointedly, "Can we please just get started?"

"Of course," James nodded, sitting slightly more upright and pulling out another sheet of paper with scribbles on it. "For those of whom who do not know, the young lady with us is Heather, Will's daughter. Turns out that she has inherited her father's want for mischief, and has already proved a valuable asset to our cause."

Giggling slightly, I asked him, "Cause?"

"To cause mischief and mayhem," James replied to some sniggering from the other men. As I have him a satisfactory nod, he continued, "Today Heather, Herb and myself teamed up to get Rowe back for mucking up everyone's tea orders. It was an astounding success, and he's been in a foul mood since."

"What happened?" Reggie asked excitedly, looking between myself and James, with a look of expectation on his face.

"Herb chucked all sorts of liquids in a bowl to create this bright purple mixture which we dumped on Rowe's head from above," James informed him, to mass laughter from the room. "He sounded furious as we ran away."

"He was," Robbie chortled, recalling the memory. "I was on duty at the time, and could hear all this angry shouting and grumbling. It was a hilarious sight!"

"_Anyway_ ..." James began for emphasis and presumably to shut everyone up, he got to his feet and motioned towards Charlie. With a smile, he announced, "Lights has the details for phase two, we just need to hammer out a concrete plan tonight. Lights, the floor is yours."

"You make it sound like I'm about to put on a comedy act," Charlie muttered as he and James swapped places.

The meeting ran for almost two hours as we hammered out the fine details for our plan. It was simple in theory, tough on execution. As suspected, I had to masquerade as Rose DeWitt Bukater and attract the attention of Lovejoy. Under the impression that I - or, to put it simply, 'Rose' - was sneaking away to have some illicit relations with a passenger, being played by Robbie, I would lead the suspicious Lovejoy into the cargo hold where a bombardment of traps awaited him. The sheer number of things that could go wrong were into double figures, and there was always the risk of the Captain finding out.

I relayed those points to Charlie as he escorted me back to my stateroom after filling Herb in one everything, which took a further fifteen minutes. It was near enough half past two by the time we arrived at the door, both of us in desperate need of sleep. With a kiss to my cheek, he smiled and bid me goodnight as I did the same before retreating to my bedroom. I was asleep for ten to three, thank goodness.

* * *

I was full of nerves as I took a morning stroll around the deck with Lily just after breakfast. Not to mention that I was incredibly tired with aching sides from that damned corset. I had planned on not wearing one tonight at dinner, but as Lily pointed out, I wouldn't fit into my gowns otherwise. I decided to inform her of our plan which was met with amusement but disapproval.

"I just think that you should be _extremely_ careful when it comes to passengers - or better yet, keep it to just crew," She sighed as she pulled out a couple of curls absent-mindedly and letting them sway in the slight breeze.

"Does a passenger's manservant count as passenger or crew, seeing as he is technically working for someone, rather than enjoying the journey like a passenger?"

"Does he work for White Star Line?"

I shook my head, knowing that my argument had been easily beaten. I looked at her, seeing the look on her face that she always had when she was right, a cross between smug and know-it-all. Nevertheless, it was still endearing in it's own weird way.

"Then he's a passenger," She stated plainly without having to explain further. "Does your father know about any of this?"

"Sort of. He knows we were planning something else, but he didn't know who it was or what we were going to do to them," I answered truthfully, stopping at some deckchairs to allow me time to sit down and rest my eyes. If this was to go according to plan, I had to be alert and fast-thinking, something which is near-impossible for me when I'm tired.

Lily slowly nodded as I could see her calculate her next move. She tapped her foot on the deck, something she always did when she was deep in thought. After a few minutes, she finally asked, "What'll you do if you get caught?"

"Run away in my disguise," I answered to be rewarded with an incredulous look from my friend. Before she could say anything else, I added, "The other lads have offered to come up with alibis so I don't get caught out."

"Do you think this will work?"

"As long as everyone plays their part accordingly, and assuming Lovejoy plays along without hassle, we should be able to," I answered, sitting forward on the deckchair.

Placing a hand on my shoulder, Lily nodded and smiled, "Best of luck."

"It's mostly skill, but thanks," I chuckled, dragging myself to my feet. "Anyway, I had best head down to the bridge. We're quickly doing a dry run with a few of them."

"If I don't see you tonight, I'm going to assume that you got caught out and either the Captain threw you overboard, or Lovejoy disposed of you somehow."

"You'll see me!" I called confidently as I near-enough skipped to the bridge.

Robbie was waiting for me, as was an officer I assumed to be Joe. After a brief introduction to him, Robbie quickly ran through the steps before we dispersed. I quickly made it to my starting point, just along the corridor from Rose's stateroom. I had to hope that Lily and her family were going to be occupied or they would ruin the whole practice. Then it occurred to me ... They could ruin the real deal ... I had no time to ponder this however, as Robbie appeared right on schedule.

He smiled as I walked up to him as he quietly said, "So ... In the real thing, I take your hand, kiss your cheek and lead you away to the cargo hold once we know that Lovejoy has spotted you."

"Then let's assume he has seen us," I told him as he held out his hand for me and led me away quickly. On the way down he told me that before I arrived, Joe had been teasing him loudly about how he should be snogging me instead when we met up. I blushed at the thought before Robbie reassured me that he would never do that to a woman who didn't want to. Never mind the fact that the woman in question was Will Murdoch's daughter.

"You were quick!" Freddie remarked as he and Reggie waited patiently by the door to the cargo hold, playing Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Looking at the two of them, I asked, "Who's winning?"

Reggie scowled at Freddie and insisted, "He must be cheating! How can he win eighteen times out of twenty three?!"

"It's 'cause you're shite!"

"Lads, there's a lady present!" Robbie remarked, which resulted in bashful looks from the men. They were just like a couple of naughty children that had been caught by mother with their hands in the cake tin.

I merely giggled and told them, "I don't mind. My father's a sailor, so I'm used to coarse language! Besides ... Ever heard Charlie when he gets worked up? I don't think I've ever heard him use the F-word so many times in my life!"

"You ever hear of what your father did to him one time on the Medic?" Came James' voice from behind me, a huge grin on his face.

I reflected his grin back to him and shook my head gently, "I haven't, actually. And I thought you were on your rounds?"

"Funny you should mention that ... Mister Wilde sent me down to ask why our two lookouts are playing Rock, Paper, Scissors by the cargo hold door, specifically. Which has meant that Lights has had to sneak in through the boiler room, and it looks like I may have to as well now when I finish," James told me, that smile of his not fading in the slightest. It never did when there was mischief to be had, I learned that yesterday.

"Don't tell me it's Wilde that's on watch while we do this," Robbie groaned, letting out an exasperated sigh.

With a slightly sadistic chuckle, James revealed, "It'll be Mister Murdoch actually."

"Thank goodness then that I'll be wearing a hairpiece!" I laughed, not wanting to think of what would happen if my father saw me sneak in to the cargo hold with a quartermaster. Suddenly an officer wouldn't seem so bad now. "How did you get hold of one anyway?"

"I told you yesterday, Herb can get _anything_," James grinned, leading me away from the men as he said it was about time for us all to get ready to be in position for later on. He held out an arm for me to link mine through, which I did so. I could feel his other hand lightly brush mine, causing me to wonder if it was deliberate or not. "Besides, I thought you wanted to hear about what your dad and Lights got up to on the Medic?"

"Oh, always! I can imagine my father having a good reason not to tell me though," I told him as we walked back upstairs, with him nodding politely and smiling at the other passengers. I was sure I could hear one woman remark that we made a handsome couple, but then again I could have misheard her.

"I think he did, but I'll tell it anyway. And it was about eleven, twelve years ago anyway," James shrugged, clearly thinking that just because it happened a long time ago, made it alright. It suited me anyway. Smiling still, he gave my hand a light squeeze and continued, "Once the Medic had left Sydney Harbour, your father decided that Lights could do with a haircut. So he took scissors and a razor to his hair while he was sleeping. Managed to trim it back rather unevenly, and got about two thirds of it shaved almost to the skin by the time Lights woke up. He was furious and wouldn't speak to your father for days! I'm guessing your father didn't tell you in case you got any ideas from it!"

"That's brilliant!" I exclaimed, doing my best to picture Charlie with the God-awful haircut my father had attempted to give him. "Did he have to shave it all back?!"

"Sadly for him, he had to. The Captain wouldn't let him be seen in public with hair like that. It grew back by the time he met Sylvia though, from what I've heard."

I couldn't stop laughing at the image in my head. No doubt I was going to burst out laughing the when I see him later on. I tried to reign in my laughter as we reached First Class, especially under Wilde's watchful eye. With a kiss of my hand, James whispered good luck before I quickly made my way back to my stateroom.

As suspected, there was a package waiting for me on the table in the sitting room. I quickly read the message taped to it :

_Here's the hairpiece, sorry it smells rather bad. Try spraying some perfume on it.  
I'll see you in the cargo hold later, just watch where you step!_

_Charlie x_

Watch where I step? Suddenly I had images of nails strewn across the floor, or just as bad, Charlie copying my father and waxing everywhere. Trying to work out what exactly he had planned, I opened the package to find a hairpiece that looked as though it would only resemble Rose's hair from a distance. I had better warn Robbie of this then to avoid letting Lovejoy get too close. Curious, I quickly sniffed it, and Charlie was right. It smelled of damp and for some reason, coffee.

"I suppose I had better get ready ..."

After pouring myself into one of my dresses that looked like something Rose was going to wear, I realised that the extra weight I was carrying was going to be a dead giveaway. Hoping that Lovejoy didn't pay attention to women's clothing, I grabbed by pale pink coat, remarkably similar to the one I saw Rose's maid carry for her. It would have to do, unless Rose magically gained some extra weight around her hips and waist overnight. Once my shoes, jewellery and make-up were all done, it was time for the hairpiece. After spraying it liberally with my perfume, it now smelled of a flower garden. Wonderful. I pinned back my hair as close to my scalp as I could before I tugged the hairpiece on and adjusted it in the mirror.

There was no way _anyone_ would believe that I was Rose DeWitt Bukater up close. My face is much rounder than hers, and of course, I have the unmistakable eyes that I have from my father. If Mister Andrews or any of the other crew saw me, that would be it. I don't even need to go on about the straw-like hairpiece. Wherever Herb found it, it certainly wasn't in the First Class that's for sure. I stole a glance at the clock in the sitting room - almost time to go. I paced nervously those last few minutes before stepping out the door.

Sure, I've carried out all sorts of pranks and mischief, but it was mostly on friends and family - except my mother. That was my father's one rule. Well, she and Sylvia, if I'm being honest. Father felt it was bad enough she was married to Charlie and his carry-ons without having to deal with mine. Shame though, she enjoys a good laugh. Not sure of what either them would make of what we're about to achieve though ...

Right on schedule, I hovered around the corridor on B-Deck, just along from Rose's stateroom. I just had to hope that her mother or Hockley didn't appear. My head was lowered down with the coat drawn somewhat self-consciously over my body. I looked like I was hiding something - well, in truth, I was - so that made me hope that Lovejoy would suspect something.

I was startled by Robbie's sudden presence before me, wearing a shirt, tie and trousers that looked to have been borrowed from one of the officers. He looked oddly out of place. It must have been the lack of a proper suit jacket and hat. He kept looking around awkwardly as he stood in front of me and whispered, "Think he'll be long?"

"I hope not!" I whispered back. I peered over his shoulder and added, "There's no one around ..."

"Good," Robbie nodded, before taking a couple of whiffs of my perfume. "Did you not bathe this week or something? Your perfume's overpowering - the lads will probably smell you coming!"

"Oh very funny," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes before I noticed that Robbie's cheeks had lost some of their colour. I could see he was staring straight behind me, so I whispered as quietly as I could, "What?"

"Lovejoy. He's watching us from a doorway I think," He replied as his eyes focused on me. I could see slight panic in his eyes as he held my hands and I can only assume panic is what caused him to press his lips to mine shakily on the middle of the corridor.

As he pulled away, the two of us blushed. It was certainly unexpected, but I regained compure enough to tell him quietly, "We don't tell anyone, _especially_ my father."

Robbie looked as though he were abut to nod in reply, instead his face drained completely and hissed, "Hockley's with him. And they're coming right for us!"

Caught! Well, there was only one thing for it. Making sure we had a tight grip of each others hands, I shouted, "Run!"


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

"Stop her!"

At Hockley's orders to Lovejoy the adrenaline kicked in as my feet pounded the corridors. I quickly looked down to Robbie's hand that was gripping mine - almost chalk-white. I'm pretty sure I could say the same about his face if he had the courage to look back. He quickly led me outside where we raced across the promenade deck, our footsteps thundering along the wooden deck. I could hear the quick pace of Hockley and Lovejoy as they followed us too. I guess I must have looked somewhat convincing from the back then.

"You keeping up okay?!" Robbie asked me breathlessly as we flew downstairs, keeping his eyes firmly ahead.

Swerving by a passenger once we reached the bottom of the stairs into the forward well deck, I replied, "I am!"

Ahead, I could see Joe watching us before ducking into the cargo hold. I guess that meant Wilde was off his watch now. I only have to hope my father doesn't see us and come investigating. Just feet away from the cargo hold, I braced myself for what the lads had instore for Lovejoy, and now Hockley, as we hurried inside.

"Son of a bitch!" I cried as I landed on my knees with a loud thud, with Robbie skidding several feet in front of me but maintaining his balance. Looks like Charlie _was_ inspired by my father after all as I ran a finger across the waxy surface of the cargo hold floor. I pulled myself along, not attempting to get to my feet in case I slipped again, and mainly because my knees were too sore to attempt standing up. Part of me wished I had, as moments later, I was drenched with what I could only describe as the iciest water ever. And I mean that literally, as cubes of ice slid across the floor.

Robbie quickly scrambled behind a couple of crates, where I heard a shout of, "You idiot! You got Heather, not Lovejoy!"

"I thought Lights warned her to be careful of the floor!" Came a voice I recognised immediately as James'. Well, at least I know who to blame.

Praying that the situation wouldn't worsen, I shouted, "Thanks for that James!"

Sadly, it got much worse as I heard the door behind me open and footsteps crash down the stairs. Fully expecting to see Lovejoy and Hockley enter the room, I was surprised to see Wilde standing before me. Well, at least I think it was him. I only saw him for a brief moment as he hit the floor too, releasing several curse words into the now very quiet hold. Watching as he slowly got to his feet, I had a feeling that this was going to be the end of our fun. Already ...

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?!" Wilde roared, as he looked around for the culprits before realising that I was still on the wet and waxy floor. He held out a hand to me and offered, "Let me help you up Miss."

"Thank you," I mumbled rather sheepishly as I took his hand and somewhat stiffly got to my feet. I almost lost my balance as I stood up, but thankfully Wilde was there to help me and lead me towards the stairs. Grateful to be off that floor, I sank down on them as he pulled off my hairpiece, which by now was almost hanging sideways off my head.

"Miss Murdoch, what is going on here?" Wilde questioned, tossing the hairpiece aside as he loomed over me. He could actually be quite imposing, not that it really put me off much. Then again, the combination of freezing water and ice being launched at me kind of left me in a daze.

Shrugging, I glanced around the cargo hold. Not one of the guys were in sight, and wait - Inspecting the Renault that was sitting in the middle of the hold, I could see Charlie and Freddie quickly duck down inside the vehicle. So _that's_ where Charlie had gotten to then, always setting things up, but hiding from the fallout. Unless he just wanted a front row seat to watch the prank play out.

With a sigh, Wilde informed me before leaving, "I will be telling your father about this. Not to mention questioning Boxhall, Fleet and Lee. I saw them all hanging around the door upstairs today, I know that there's something going on. Mark my words, I will find out."

As he slammed the door shut behind him, I called out rather playfully, "Busted!"

"Where are Lovejoy and Hockley?" Robbie asked, climbing on top of a crate and shouting over at me as James appeared from behind, looking rather foolish.

"Henry must have stopped them before they could come in," Joe stated coolly as he and Reggie emerged from a crate. They quickly climbed out and carefully made their way towards the stairs, watching for ice, as did Robbie and James.

"You must be freezing Heather, I'm so sorry," James began apologetically. He looked at me sincerely and said, "I'll escort you back so you can get into some dry clothes."

"Sure you won't end up setting fire to her on the way up?" Charlie joked as he and Freddie climbed out of the Renault, snickering as they made their way up to us.

I saw James scowl at him before retorting, "Fire's more _your_ style Lightoller!"

"Ooooh, now it's Lightoller?" Charlie chuckled, nudging Joe in the ribs. "Looks like someone's a bit _touchy_!"

I rolled my eyes as James led me from the cargo hold to some more heckling and taunts from Charlie. Honestly, the man could be his own worst enemy at times. Especially when I got my senses back and came to the following conclusion which I shared with James right away, "So phase two went belly up ... But phase three will be better. Our target? Charlie."

James turned to me, his face and eyes suddenly alight, "You're so devious! I daresay _everyone_ will be up for that! Even your father ... Perhaps."

"Tempting, but let's leave him out of it. I don't know what Wilde is going to tell him, but it can't be good."

"That's a good point," He agreed as we climbed the stairs taking us back up to the promenade deck, where Harry and Herb were waiting for us anxiously. Noting the looks on their faces, he asked, "What's up lads?"

"Henry stopped Lovejoy and Mister Hockley from entering the cargo hold. So naturally, the two of them realised that they were being set up," Herb began quietly, walking alongside us on the promenade deck.

Harry nodded along and added, "They demanded to see your father. And from what we've overheard, Wilde's planning to do the same."

"Okay, so this didn't just go belly up ... It backfired spectacularly then," I said in a tense voice. "In case you two were wondering why I'm soaking, the ice water that I assume was headed for Lovejoy hit me instead."

Both men immediately grimaced as James blushed beside me. Giving my hand a squeeze, he apologised again, "I am _so_ sorry, I really didn't mean to get you."

"I know," I smiled back at him as Herb and Harry burst out laughing, causing poor James to blush further. Feeling bad for him, because it was an easy mistake to occur in the heat of the moment, I scolded the two of them, "That's enough! Be nice or I won't let you in on phase three!"

Worked like a charm - the two of them shut their mouths instantly, before making their excuses and running off. James and I hurried inside to my stateroom, being careful to avoid possibly bumping into Lovejoy or Hockley. Or Rose, for that matter, but given her obvious dislike for Lovejoy, part of me wondered if she'd actually see the humour in it.

Reaching the door, I felt James brush his lips against my cheek before remarking, "You're cheeks are ice cold! Get yourself a hot bath Heather, and no doubt I'll see you again later."

"That sounds like a good idea, thanks James. And honestly, don't worry about the water," I whispered as I reached up to peck his cheek too. "Thanks for escorting me back, and hopefully I will see you at some point to discuss phase three."

With one final smile at him, I entered my stateroom, intent on heating up and relaxing.

* * *

I finally got my bath after an hour of what I could only describe as an interrogation of questions by Lily. Babysitting young Matthew clearly didn't stop her, especially as he went to play tea party with imaginary friend Pierre. My body finally back at a normal temperature, I felt relaxed for the first time today, pushing all thoughts of this morning's debacle out of my mind. I was combing the knots out of my damp hair when there was a polite knock at my bedroom door.

"Come in!"

Just as I expected, the only person who would knock on my bedroom door. My father, looking rather weary and disappointed. While most people would be relieved at disappointment as opposed to anger, I hated it. There was something in disappointment that was unsettling to me, as though he had gone past the stage of anger and was just really let down.

"We need to talk about this morning darling," He said quietly as he stepped into my room, watching as I tied my hair off to the side with a ribbon.

Standing up from the chair at the dressing table and making sure my robe was keeping me covered, I motioned towards the bed, where I sat down at the head. I crossed my legs onto the bed and held a pillow in front of me, protecting any possible flashes of modesty. Sighing as he sat next to me, I whispered, "I'm sorry dad ..."

"Heather, I'm not angry at you. I thought you would have known better than to target a passenger, especially one who is closely associated with someone as influencial as Mister Hockley. I know this isn't _all_ your fault, believe me, I will have Lights' guts for garters by the time I'm through with him! I expected better from you darling, and I'm sorry to say that you've let me down a little today. Quartermaster Rowe was absolutely fine because he was one of us, part of the crew. Passengers are strictly off-limits," Father said in his calmest voice possible.

I slowly nodded, letting the words sink in before I said anything. I could absolutely see where he was coming from, it's the exact same thing Lily pointed out. I knew she was right, but I still carried on regardless. Taking a breath, I admitted to him, "I knew it was wrong dad. But, that Lovejoy ... He's such a slimy looking git ..."

To my surprise, my father let out a slight chuckle. Taking my hand in his, he told me, "Nobody likes him darling. Still, he is a passenger, and he must be treated with our highest standards, separating personal feelings from the job. This is where Lights' bollocking comes in. As for you, I've had a quiet word in your ear, which is what I said to Henry and those two I would do. I've apologised for you, but I would still like you to do it in person, which is what we are going to do once your dressed."

My heart sank. Apologise? To them? Even I was a little mad at Charlie now! Getting up from the bed I said, "I guess there's no use protesting, is there?"

"Sorry darling," He apologised as he too rose from the bed. Taking me into his arms, he hugged me and whispered, "Don't _ever_ tell your mother otherwise she'll end up taking you back to New Zealand with her!"

"I wasn't planning on it anyway," I smiled sweetly as he left the room, presumably to wait in the sitting room while I changed.

Apologising to Lovejoy and Hockley wasn't the teeth-pulling excerise I thought it was going to be. Seems like my father managed a fair bit of damage control as far as I was concerned, shifting most of the blame onto Charlie. In fact, Hockley seemed to laugh some of it off, before remaking that Lovejoy should have known better that I was wearing a hairpiece. We were able to get away pretty quickly as well, before my father had to go back and get some sleep before his next watch.

"How did it go?" Lily asked the second I put one foot back into the stateroom.

Leaping onto the couch I replied, "Not bad. I don't know what dad told them, but there were nowhere near as angry as I thought they'd be. Probably because dad made it out to be Charlie's fault, and that Wilde stopped them from becoming victims."

"I knew it wasn't going to end well," Lily laughed. Thankfully my friend was not one for scolding me, preferring to laugh instead. Which was always good, I had my parents - well, my mother - for scolding me.

"It seems like Charlie's going to get most of the blame anyway. Dad's furious with him! Oh, I wish I could see that. Just so I can point and laugh, of course."

"That's terrible!" Lily gasped, before letting go a huge cackle that momentarily distracted Matthew from his imaginary friend. "Still, from the stories you've told me, he had it coming!"

"He did," I nodded before an idea crossed my mind. "Hang on, I have an idea! Why don't we take Matthew up to the top deck? If I spot one of the officers, I can ask them to sneak us in and watch -"

"You never learn Heather, do you?"

"It's no so much not learning as it is pushing boundaries," I tried to reason. "I like to see how far I can go before being told otherwise."

Lily merely shook her head and sighed, "You can go. I'd rather Matthew remained innocent for as long as possible before he discovers the world of practical jokes."

"It'll be more fun if you go! Please?" I pleaded without success as she shook her head again.

"Charlie and those boys are a handful. Frankly, I don't understand why you find them so fascinating," She told me honestly, with a hint of coldness in her voice.

"We simply have something in common," I answered honestly. It is true, I met them all through our love of practical jokes. If it weren't for that, it would be polite greetings and pleasantries if my father or Charlie ever introduced me to them. "What would you rather do then?"

"Take my little brother along to the cafe for lunch, seeing as my parents have disappeared with the Duff-Gordons," Lily revealed to my surprise. I honestly didn't think her parents would socialise with society couples like them, but I guess they have to polite. After all, we're stuck on a ship with them, and no real means of escape unless it's ducking into the Second or Third class.

"Fair enough, I suppose it's that time already," I sighed, secretly disappointed. I did mentally scold myself, however, for forgetting that I was supposed to be spending time with Lily instead of constantly hanging around with crew.

"I can tell you don't want to Heather," Lily said pointedly, calling Matthew over to her. "I'll just see you at dinner, unless you're busy pranking some other poor person."

"Lily -"

"I'll see you at some point Heather. Go play with the boys while I handle responsibilities," She said rather huffily as she led her brother from the room.

I debated whether or not to go after her, instead deciding to let her cool off incase I cause any more damage. Kicking my shoes off, I lay across the couch and drifted off for a quick nap. I did want to go to and find one of the guys now, but that would only be proving her right, and would probably strain things even more so.


	5. Chapter Five

**AUTHOR'S NOTE :_ I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed this story so far. Also, thanks to everyone else that's read through so far, I can see that there's quite a few through my Story Stats ;)_**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

I woke up that afternoon from my nap to find Charlie and James peering over me. As happy as I was to see them, it was unexpected, and a reminder of the words Lily said to me earlier. They found it funny that I seemed to flinch the second I opened my eyes. I quickly noted Charlie's mood, which appeared to be cheerful. I'm guessing dad hasn't told him off yet. He smiled and sat next to me as soon as I pulled myself upright and said quietly, "We saw Lily with her little brother. She looked like something was troubling her. Did you two have a falling out?"

I admitted with a sigh, "We did, a little while ago ..."

"It wasn't us, was it?" James asked tentatively as he sat on my other side and took my hand. I could feel him lace his fingers with mine, which left me wondering if he had thought beyond friendship. However, I didn't get a chance to think about it more as he asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's really between us," I replied glumly. Part of me wanted to talk about it, and part of me wanted to not even think about it. I would go and talk to her right now, but with the lads at my side, I doubt she'd even listen. So rather than risk it, I told the two of them, "My father stopped by earlier."

Charlie immediately shared a worried glance with James before asking, "What did he say"?

I quickly told them what my father had said, choosing to omit the parts where he told me he was going after Charlie. A bit horrible, perhaps, but between him and my father, it was an obvious choice. And my mother did say that I've always been a daddy's girl.

"So ... He's not pissed off?"

I smiled at James and shook my head, "I just had to suffer the indignity of apologising to Lovejoy and Hockley for deceiving them. They took it fairly well, which makes me wonder what my father actually told them."

"This really doesn't bode well for us at all, does it?" Charlie asked James, who shrugged casually. Standing up, he grinned and announced brightly, "Well, lucky for me, I have to go on my rounds. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Raising an eyebrow, I deadpanned, "Behave?"

"Keep our noses clean?" James chimed in.

"Talk nice about others?"

"Tell clean jokes?"

"Alright, enough!" Charlie warned us, blushing slightly as a playful pout formed at his mouth. It's the same look he gives Sylvia when she's had enough of his nonsense. How she puts up with being married to him, I'll never understand. Still pouting, he asked us, "I thought you liked me?"

"It fluctuates," I told him with a slight giggle as James struggled to hold in a laugh.

"I didn't pour freezing cold ice water of your head!" Charlie pointed out.

"But James had the decency to apologise. If it were you, I can bet on you laughing like a baboon before chalking it up to experience."

"Or call it character building," James added, proving himself to be a great ally. I knew right away when I first met him yesterday that we would be good friends. He's warm, kind, and looked to only be a few years older than me. His defence of me, and wanting to join me in teaming up against Charlie, pointed towards a great partnership for his cause. And our friendship, obviously.

Charlie reached over and pinched our ears. It hurt, but I didn't let on and give him the satisfaction. With a wink, he said, "I'll see you tonight James. Remember who her father is!"

I could see a slight blush creep across James' cheeks as Charlie left the stateroom looking pleased with himself. Hoping to spare James from any further embarrassment, I suggested, "Would you like to join me for tea and we can discuss phase three?"

As I suspected, James immediately perked up and smiled. "Let's! But we need a new name though, the 'phase' thing is Lights' idea."

"Very well ... Let's see," I began, trying to think of something before randomly blurting out, "Operation Pink Spider!"

"Nice, very imaginative!" He chuckled, pulling himself off the couch before helping me up, "Do you need to get ready?"

I fingered my still-damp hair and nodded, "Can you give me a few minutes to sort my hair please?"

"Of course," He smiled as I hurried to my bedroom.

About five minutes later, my hair was pinned back and covered by one of three hats that I own, and the only hat that made it on the voyage. This meant I had to change my dress to avoid looking silly. I'm pretty sure that when I reappeared, James had a smirk spread across his face before he quickly transformed it into a goofy grin. Grinning myself, I asked, "What are you smiling about?"

"You look lovely," He complimented me honestly, holding out an arm.

Taking it, I smiled and mumbled out a "Thank you."

He cocked his head at me - rather cutely, I must admit - and asked, "You okay Heather?"

"I hate wearing hats," I revealed, although it was no surprise to those who knew me. I certainly didn't get it from my mother, who owns _plenty_ of hats. Everytime my father works away for a long time, he always comes back with gifts for us, and in my mother's case, it was always a new hat. I always got a new dress, or shoes, and always some kind of chocolate or sweet. We were always just grateful he came back, really.

"Well, I think you look lovely, regardless," James insisted sweetly as he led me downstairs where the ladies of society were enjoying high tea. I could see Rose and her mother with a woman I recognised to be the Countess of Rothes. To my joy, James choose a small table as far away from them as possible, in a corner of the room where we wouldn't attract attention.

As we both sat down, my mind immediately raced to the topic of our plan to get Charlie back. It had to be spectacular _without_ causing more trouble. Although, I have a feeling that my father and Wilde would be appreciative of our plan. Especially my father, who's known Charlie for over ten years now. As for Wilde, well ... I suppose he could consider it payback for falling to the floor this morning and having to explain to Lovejoy and Hockley that they were being set up.

After tea and tiered cake tray laden with lots of delicious looking cakes were given to us, James immediately poured our tea and asked, "So, Operation Pink Spider ... Can I first of all ask ... Why the name?"

Swallowing a chunk of cake, I smiled and answered, "I like the colour pink, and spiders are sneaky little buggers, not too similar to Charlie, in a way."

"Would you squash him with your shoe though?" James pointed out with a smirk as he took a sip of tea.

I shook my head, "Of course not. But the man pops out from anywhere and lurks in the shadows at times, which worries me a little. Then he scurries along with a little plan formed in his head, _kind of_ like a spider."

"I understand ... I think," James nodded, smartly placing a couple of cakes on a saucer in front of him. I say smartly because, well, I'd eat them all otherwise. When my stomach sticks out further than my chest, _then_ I'll worry. But for now, I'm going to enjoy all the cake I can handle. And chocolate, when I eventually get hold of some in New York.

"Anyway, we need a good plan. The key word I had in mind being 'spectacular', although 'sensational' will do as well," I told him, grabbing my second cake from the tray.

"Spectacularly sensational, or sensationally spectacular," James offered as he pulled off the icing off a cake and set it aside, for later I presume.

"Either way, it will have to be a really good one! I'm thinking, really embarrass him amongst the crew and _maybe_ some passengers -"

"Too far Heather," James advised, although I could sense reluctance in his voice. Winking at me, he suggested, "We should come up with something that'll have a lasting effect, like the haircut your father gave him, but better."

"Indelible ink to his face?"

James snorted, "If you want him to return to his wife and children like that then by all means, do so."

I winced at the thought of a blue faced Charlie walking into his house,"He might frighten his children ..."

"Exactly, we're supposed to be getting Lights' back, not scare his children!" James laughed as a helped myself to a fourth little cake. Well, they _were_ small.

I quickly chewed my way through the cake before insisting, "Sometimes greatness comes at a price!"

"Not at the cost of his children's innocence," James quite rightly pointed out, his eyes meeting mine and twinkling briefly.

* * *

After all was said and done, we achieved relatively nothing. Aside from discussing our own lives. I was delighted to discover that James hails from Scarborough, I can recall a couple of summers when we holidayed there for a few days. I told him the story of my unexpected birth, being three weeks earlier than thought. Instead of my mother giving birth to me at home, it was at a relative's house in Dalbeattie. My father was thrilled though, because it meant he had a Scottish daughter. Well, half-Scottish, half New-Zealander. He was just pleased there was nothing English about me.

As was our apparent new routine, James ecorted me back on his arm, pecking my cheek as he let go. I always kissed his cheek back as a thank you, before thanking him properly. Upon bidding goodbye, I entered the stateroom to find Lily reading one of her books. She didn't even look up as I walked in and sat on the chair opposite. Was she really that angry?

"Lily ..."

"Oh what, did the officers have to go back to work?" She snapped, her eyes not leaving the page. "Now you don't have anyone to play with, you want to talk to me?"

"It's not like that!" I protested as Lily slid a small piece of paper to mark the page she was reading before she slammed the book down on the couch. "I decided to let you cool off, so I took a nap. When I woke up, they were there!"

Lily rolled her eyes, "Who?"

"Charlie and James," I told her truthfully, rubbing my temple in frustration. Clearly, this wasn't going to go as smoothly as I had hoped.

"Oh, okay ... So the grown man who's bored because he's not with his family, and someone younger who seems to idolise him and his pranks. I thought you were better than that Heather!"

"Look, I -"

"Save it!" She spat, getting up from the chair. "I told my parents not to expect you at dinner. Get Charlie, or James ... Or even your father to take you to dinner, because you're not sitting with us only for you to run off again late at night!"

I looked at her in surprise, "How did you even know I'd went out?"

"I heard you! You know you're not the quietest person in the world!" Lily scowled as she stormed into her bedroom.

My frustrations rising, I rose from the couch and followed her. I could tell she wasn't expecting me to follow her, but nevertheless, I was determined to get my side across. "In case you didn't realise, I have tried to include you! But you refuse to participate in the slightest, and yet feel the need to tell me where I'm going wrong! If you don't want to be a part of it, you don't get to criticise!"

"Fine!" She yelled, slumping onto her bed and letting out an exasperated sigh. "Just don't come crying to me when you all get into serious trouble! In fact, don't even come to me at all Heather. Just get out my room, I've had enough. Go back to the officers, you seem to want to be with them more than me!"

"Lily, you don't -"

"Just go!"

By that point I had basically given up. No point in trying to argue or reason when she was being as stubborn as she could be. I exited her bedroom and was about to slump onto the couch once again when there was a polite knock on the door. Opening it, I asked in surprise, "Mister Hockley, can I help you with something?"

"I would like to invite you and your father to join us for dinner tonight," Hockley informed me politely, a smile curling at his lips. "My fiancee and I enjoyed the pleasure of your company last night."

"Thank you for the invite Mister Hockley, but -"

"I've already asked your father, and he asked me to tell you that he would be coming to pick you up," Hockley continued as though he never heard me. He smiled politely once again and bid me good day before stiding down the corridor.

I rolled my eyes as I closed the door behind him. Great, _another_ dinner with that lot. Suddenly I wished I had ate more cake to make myself sick so I couldn't go. Resigned to the fact that I had no say in the matter, I wandered into my room to get ready.

Once again, I ended being being laced into a corset that was too tight. Lily's mother was already kind enough to lace it up for me, despite my falling out with her daughter. She did reassure me that Lily would probably be fine in the morning before leaving to make sure her husband and son were dressed as well. I could feel my chest tighten with every breath, scowling that the only things that seemed to escape being squashed down against my skeleton were my breasts.

I had just finished getting ready, pulling on white dinner gloves that went with my powder blue gown, when my father knocked and entered the room. Taking one look at me, he smiled and said truthfully, "You look absolutely beautiful Heather."

Blushing, I smiled back it him, "Thanks dad."

He was looking handsome himself in his best uniform, giving me another one of his proud father looks. I could tell that everything had went back to normal with him after this morning. That was one of the things I loved about him, his disappointment rarely lingers.

"I had better keep an eye on you," He chuckled, holding out an arm for me, which I took once I had taken a final glance in the mirror. "Dressed like that, all of the men's eyes will be on you."

"Oh stop it dad!" I laughed as he led me from the stateroom.

With a wink, he joked, "I mean it! No one gets near my little girl without my approval!"

I tried to laugh again, instead wincing in pain as the corset squeezed against my body once more. Reaching the dining hall, I looked around at the first class women. They seemed to float about in their gowns and corsets with relative ease. Then again, their corsets probably fit them better than mine did at the moment.

"Ah, there they are!"

I looked ahead to see Hockley standing by his table, leaning a hand on the back of Rose's chair. He took my hand and kissed it gently, before shaking hands with my father. With a smirk, I whispered into my dad's ear, "I thought no man was getting near your little girl?"

He chuckled as he pulled a chair out for me, sitting in one next to me after I had sat down. Looking around the table, I realised that Mister Andrews and Mister Ismay were also present. I could see the two of them smiling at me and my father, and I realised that I had to be on my best behaviour, and not share stories about practical jokes. So, naturally ... Can you guess what Hockley's opening anecdote was?


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

So ... I was at dinner one minute, finding it difficult to breathe sitting down with that ridiculous corset on. The next thing I know, I'm lying on the floor of the dining hall with several worried faces staring at me. I knew they were all there, yet I couldn't seem to react. I may have blinked a few times, bit nothing else registered with me. A sudden, sharp intake of air caught me by surprise as my right hand leapt into action, and I grabbed the nearest person.

"Heather! Darling, can you hear me?"

I could make out my father's face clearly now. Most of the colour had drained from him and I could see the fright in his eyes. I inclined my head slightly before shifting it to the right as my vision followed the length of my arm. Lily. I had grabbed her arm without thinking. She too, wore a similar expression to my father.

"Oh, Heather, are you okay?!"

Again, I dipped my head down slightly in an attempt to nod as I felt an arm slide under my knees, and one under my back before I was swept off the floor. As I was pulled away, I could have sworn that Lily grabbed my hand for a quick second, shooting me a slight smile. I returned a smile back, although a rather weak one at that. Looking up, I could see my father still watching me closely.

"Darling, I'm taking you back to your stateroom."

I did my best to smile at my father, hoping it would give him some form of reassurance. I think it must have done, because I could see one form at his mouth before he led me from the hall. I closed my eyes as I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment, not to mention the eyes of the fellow passengers all following the two of us.

"Heather, what happened to you? Are you ill?" He asked once we were in the privacy of my bedroom. I could see that the fright in his eyes had morphed into concern as he carefully laid me down on my bed like I was a fragile doll.

"My corset," I grimaced, feeling it crush against my ribs as I spoke. "It's too tight ..."

My father nodded and pulled me up from the bed, "Well that's coming off then, it's probably why you fainted."

"It was Sarah," I said quietly, as I pulled off my dress, standing before him wearing just my corset and undergarments. Thank goodness for those. "She came in to lace it up for me after she had done the same for Lily. It was tight last night too, but Lily loosened it for me."

"Darling, I hate to say this ..." He began as he started to unlace the corset, bring a slow relief to my aching body. "But I'm afraid the corset's a little too small for you now. I would never say anything to make you feel bad about yourself, because I know you're happy the way you are. But your my daughter, and I love you. I can't have you in pain and fainting. I'm afraid you need to look at buying some bigger clothes. I'm really sorry to say it Heather."

"I thought I could get away with it," I said quietly, my breathing starting to regulate, although it was still sore to do so thanks to the corset. "I thought that's what corsets were for!"

I could hear my father chuckle behind me as he finished loosening the corset for me, "Think you can get out of that okay?"

"Thank you dad," I said as I turned to him and smiled. "Do you have to go back?"

"Nah, I have the night off. Lights is doing a double watch after what he pulled with you lot this morning."

I couldn't help but laugh, "That's brilliant! So does this mean that you'll stick around for a little bit?"

"Of course. I'll always make time for my little girl. We'll stay here for a little bit, and if you're feeling better we can go up to the Mess Hall. I'll need to tell the Captain how you're doing, he seemed really worried down there."

I flashed him a wide grin as he left me to get changed. I wriggled out of my corset and threw my gown back on. It didn't look _too_ bad without the corset, I suppose I could always wear my coat if we're leaving the stateroom anyway. I joined him on the couch in the sitting room, feeling a bit better already.

"You don't need a corset to look beautiful," He told me as I curled my legs up on the couch.

I couldn't help but blush and insist, "You're my father, you _have_ to say that! It's like a law or something!"

"I'm not the only one who thinks that," He winked before quickly adding, "And I'm not saying who! Don't want you to get any ideas in your head!"

Groaning, I pleaded, "Oh come on dad! Who is it?"

"I'm not saying, because, one - I'm not supposed to know, I overheard it. And two - No man will ever be good enough for you," He replied with a tone of amusement in his voice. He was clearly enjoying this.

I let out another groan and pouted at him, "That's law number two right there!"

"Well's it's the law for me not to tell you!" He retorted, looking pleased with himself. "I'd give it up, although I won't be surprised if you found out from someone else."

Someone else ... It could only be Charlie. That quickly ended the argument - I'll just ask him then! But then again, could I even trust him to tell me the truth without it being a wind up? Probably not. Whoever he doesn't say, I can ask because I'd be more likely to get them to confirm or deny honestly.

* * *

I tried and failed to get Charlie to tell me when we finally reached the bridge a couple of hours later. We were held up by Lily and her mother, who were making a huge fuss over me. Lily even apologised for what she said earlier, and said it was silly to get worked up over something so insignificant. Funny how it takes someone to faint for people to gain perspective ... However, I was relieved that we could go back to the way things were. No more arguing or awkwardness. Now, back to getting information from Charlie.

"Tell me!" I begged for what must have been the tenth time as my father ducked inside to make tea for the three of us.

Charlie only laughed at my attempts, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder and replying for the tenth time, "It's a secret."

"Then I'll ask Robbie!" I said in a smug voice before walking over to him as he manned the ship's wheel. "Do you know who likes me?"

I could have sworn he blushed a deep shade of scarlet as he mumbled, "Lights told me not to tell you ..."

"Have you been telling everyone?!" I asked Charlie incredulously, who only guffawed in reply. Scowling, I turned back to Robbie, "I'm guessing he's gaining some sort of perverse joy out of this then?"

"When is he not?" He shrugged before breaking into a smile. "I will say this ... You have turned a couple of heads. But your father warned most of the crew not to even think about it. He's very protective, you know."

"I'm surprised you haven't figured out two of the names already!" Charlie remarked, just as my father arrived with our tea.

He handed me my cup first, which I took gratefully. It was cold out tonight, and the cup worked wonders in heating my hands up. I offered Robbie some of my tea, feeling bad that he was left out, but he smiled and said not to worry, he'll get one when he's finished. Taking in some tea, I couldn't help but enjoy feeling the hot liquid drizzle through me. It felt heavenly.

"You look like you're enjoying that!" My father laughed before he and Charlie went back to discussing the ship. With the two of them preoccupied, I asked Robbie in a low voice, "Did James mention Operation Pink Spider to you?"

"Indeed," He whispered back, with a huge smirk on his face. "I daresay it's been a long time coming. Lights needs to get more of a comeuppance than just a double shift."

"I was thinking ... I've been warned by my father not to wear my corset anymore after what happened at dinner this evening. Perhaps we should stuff Charlie into it? We could knock him out with some alcohol - Trust me, I've seen my father do that to him, it can be done. I could put make up on his face ... Oh! The hairpiece! What happened to it?"

"Herb took it back, just in case," Robbie sniggered, peering around to make sure that Charlie and my father weren't listening. We were fine, the two of them were now outside the wheelhouse. They must not want to be overheard, which was fine by me because I didn't want to be overheard either.

"Great! Now ... We'll need to tie him somewhere people can see him, like the glass dome at the grand staircase. But we'd need a lot of strong rope and several ladders to get him up there and tie him so that he doesn't fall and smash his face in," I continued, my brain scheming away quite happily.

Robbie nodded before pointing out, "How will the passengers see him if he's up high?"

Shugging, I thought for a moment before answering, "Won't he create a shadow? _And_, once he wakes up, can you imagine the sheer amount of commands and foul language that would spew from his mouth?!"

"If you weren't Murdoch's daughter I'd say you were the spawn of Satan!"

"Who said dad wasn't Satan?!"

Both me and Robbie launched into a fit of laughter as Herb and Harry appeared behind us, wondering what the fuss was all about. The two of them stood at either side of us, with Harry questioning, "Are you going to let us in on the joke or what?"

I smiled and asked both of them, "Did James mention Operation Pink Spider to you two as well?"

"So it's going ahead then?!" Herb asked excitedly. "Did one of you come up with a plan?!"

Robbie nodded his head towards me, "Heather did just now. A rather fine plan if I do say so myself. But we need to watch what we're saying, Lights and Murdoch are just outside the wheelhouse."

"We'll meet at six in the morning, and gather as many of us as possible. But where to have the meeting ..."

Herb looked at me and suggested, "Your room?"

"No can do, my friend will still be asleep," I replied, shaking hy head gently.

"We'll be quiet!" Harry insisted, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. "Please?"

I sighed and decided just to go along with it, "Very well. Ask James for my room number, and for the love of God, don't arouse suspicion. I've already had the First Class talk about me enough this evening without them finding out I'm hosting secret meetings with the crew!"

Herb turned to Harry and flashed him a smile that meant mischief, "We'd better inform the lads!"

"Definitely," Harry nodded before turning to us. "If we don't see you again tonight, we'll see you at six!"

"Just be quiet!" I called to them as they scampered away, Harry heading back inside as Herb went outside, opposite from my father and Charlie. They make a good team, actually. We all do. It's teamwork that'll bring Charlie down.

"Heather darling, the Captain's on his way along," My father told me as he popped his head into the wheelhouse.

"I'll be right out," I called back, rolling my eyes as Robbie chuckled. "One more person to make a fuss ..."

* * *

I actually couldn't sleep much that night. One glance at the clock told me it was half past five in the morning, which meant that the lads will be here soon. It wouldn't do to sit alongside a group of sailors in just my nightgown, so I threw on the dress I had already planned to wear for today. I quickly brushed my hair and made sure that the bedroom was in a presentable state. All before quarter to six.

Lily was already asleep by the time my father escorted me back down last night, I'm guessing it was after midnight anyway. So I took it upon myself to stand patiently outside the door of the stateroom in a pre-emptive attempt to avoid the lads making any sound that would wake her up. It was strangely quiet at this time in the morning, with the odd steward ambling through the corridors.

"Pssst! Heather!"

I looked to my left to see Robbie and Herb practically tiptoe up to me. Both of them looked just as tired as I was, not that they let it show through speech and facial expressions. I had to smile and ask, "Long night?"

"You try being stuck at the wheel when Lights' is telling more crude jokes," Robbie groaned, wincing at the thought of some of them. "You're lucky your father dragged you away just in time."

"Charlie doesn't come over to your house every other week though, does he?" I quite rightly pointed out before elaborting further. "I have to hear _all_ of his dirty jokes while my mother escapes to his house - leaving me! I could have watched his children while Mum and Sylvia gossiped, but no I have to listen to his jokes ..."

"Rant over?" Herb snickered, patting my shoulder. He smiled as I nodded, before we were distracted by footsteps hurrying down the corridor - James, Reggie and Freddie.

"Is this all of us?" I asked the men quietly, looking around at each of them.

James nodded and informed us, "Joe is working and Harry will be along soon, he never makes anything on time. In fact, I'm pretty sure he insisted on taking a bath first."

Freddie rolled his eyes, "_Of course_ he did. It's like some weird compulsion!"

"To be clean? Nothing wrong with that," I said with half a smile.

Herb groaned, "Oh, but when he bathes twice a day, _every day_, it becomes complusion. Why does he need to be clean before going to bed? Who's he going to bed with? Nobody! And what does he do when he wakes up? He bathes! It's asylum behaviour!"

"It's called clean and hygenic!" I insisted as the men chortled at the siuation. "At least when he and his fiancee get married, she'll have a nice, clean husband! Not one that reeks of alcohol, or soot and coal, or anything else ..."

Reggie looked around at us all incredulously and asked, "Why are we debating Harry's bathing habits? Shouldn't we be getting the meeting for Operation Pink Spider under way?"

"Not a sound," I warned them pointedly, as I ushered them into the stateroom and pointed in the direction of my bedroom. "And stay out of my belongings! I mean it!"


End file.
